Wire-nail machine



5 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

B. B. PARKHURST.

WIRE NAIL MACHINE.

No. 365,855. Patented July 5, 1887 Wikqesses W YW N. PETERS. Pwlo-Lill'ngrapher, Wuhmgtcn, D. C.

5 Sheets Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

B. B. PARKHURST.

WIRE NAIL MACHINE.

No. 365,855. Patented July 5, 1887.

lqx/ar kmr.

Wikqesss.

N. PETERS, Phnlwlithugmpher. Wnshinglon, 0. c4

(No Model.) 5 Sheets-Sheet 3. E. B. PARKHURST.

WIRE NAIL MACHINE.

No. 365,855. Patented July 5, 1887.

(No Model.) 5 Sheets-Sheet 4. E. B. PARKHURST.

WIRE NAIL MACHINE.

Patented July 5 lqx/aqicrr.

Wih 555 E. 5

N. PETERS, Prwln-Limn m her. Washinglon. D. l;

(No Model.)

5 Sheets-Sheet 5.

E. B. PARKHURST.

' WIRE NAIL MACHINE.

I No. 365,855.

Patented July 5, 1887.

5 I I I aw,

lqX/Eqinr".

'wiiqesses SNITED STATES PATENT FFCE.

EDWARD B. PARKHURST, OF WOBURN, MASSACHUSETTS.

WIRE-NAIL MACHINE.

A SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 365,855, dated July5, 1887.

Application filed January 24, 1887. Serial No. 225,279. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD B. PARKHURST, of \Voburn, county ofMiddlesex, State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Wire-Nail Machines, of

which the following is a specification, reference being had to thedrawings accompanying and forming a part thereof, in which- Figure 1 isa side elevation of my improved machine. Fig. 2 is an end elevation fromthe right of Fig. 1. 'Fig. 3 is a plan view. Fig.

4 is a side view of the oscillating die-head, showing the relativeposition of the nail-dies, as also their operation.

of wirefrom the continuous piece, and showing their position relativelyto the die-head. Fig. 7 is a detail. Fig. 8 is a perspective view of oneof the dies in the die-head detached.

the dies, the (lie mechanism for compressing the section of wirecentrally to form the points of two nails, hammers to operate on theends of the section and form the heads of the nails, devices forclearing the nails from the machine, and shipper mechanism by which thedriving power may be speedily and certainly put on or off, allcooperating in an organized machine, as hereinafter described.

I will describe my invention using likelet- .ters of reference toindicate like parts throughout the drawings.

The frame of the machine A is preferably of iron and of a height tobring the working parts into a position convenient for the operator. Thewire a is fed from four coils by four sets of feed-wheels into fourcutters. Two of the coils andtwo sets of feed-wheels are on each side ofthe machine, and the feed-wheels on one side act alternately with thoseon the Figs. 5 and Gare side 1 and plan views, respectively, of thecutters detached, which operate to separate a section 1 nail-dies whichform the points of the nails are actuated by means of toggle mechanismdirectly from this main shaft.

On either side of the machine are journaled the secondary shafts E F,from which. the hammers are actuated by means of their actuatingmechanism, which is hereinafter described. The shaft F, which isactuated from the main shaft by means of the beveled gears c d, isextended beyond one end of the frame A, (see Fig. 1,) and actuates, bymeans of the bevelgears e f, the shaft G, whichis journaled inprojections on the frame A. Theshaft G carries the cam 9. (See Fig. 2.)The cam 9 actuates the lever 71., pivoted on a stud, 2', set in theframe, the lower end of the lever being provided with a pin, j, whichacts in the cam f g. The upper end of the lever h is slotted, as shown,Fig- 2, the sides of the slot being flanged to receive the grooved blockit, which is secured in place by the screw Z, set through a cross-piecesecured on the upper end of lever h, the screw Z passing through saidcross-piece and through the block 70, and acting not only to secure theblock in position, but to change its position in the slot for thepurpose of ad justing the throw of the lever.

To the block is the arms at n are pivoted. Said arms extend in oppositedirections and are pivoted at their outer ends to the cranks 0 19. Thesecranks are set loosely on the shafts H K, which carry the ratchet-whcelsq r, the teeth of which point in opposite directions.

The cranks 0 p are provided with pawls S, (see Figs. 1 and 2,) pivotedto the upper ends of the cranks and held against the ratchet teeth byleaf-springs t, bolted to the cranks, and which act against the freeends of the pawls, as shown, Fig. 2. Themovement of the upper end oflever h in one direction throws the pawl on the side toward which it ismoving backward over the teethof the ratchet- Whecl, the wheel remainingstationary as the ratchet slips Over the teeth. The movement of thelever h in the opposite direction causes the pawl to act on theratchet-teeth and causes a partial revolution of the ratchet wheel.While this ratchet-wheel is revolving the one on the opposite side ofthe lever is stationary, the corresponding movements of the partsalternating, thus causing the wires on one side of the machine to be fedalternately with those on the other side.

. The shaft H, to which the ratchet-wheelq is secured, is provided withtwo beveled gears, u c, which mesh with beveled gears secured to thelower end of the vertical shafts I J, each of which carries a feed-rolland a small gear, to, which meshes with a corresponding small gear onthe shaft of the companion feed-roll. (See Fig. 1.) The shafts of thefeed-rolls are journaled in projections secured to the frame, and theconnectinggears w are on one set of the feed-rolls at the upper ends oftheir shafts and on the other set at thelower ends thereof.

The shaft K at the other side of the machine drives the two sets offeed-rolls on that side in the shaft H the feed-rolls above described,

both sides of the machine being the same in respect to the feedingmechanism, although the feed mechanism on one side alternates in itsaction with that on the other side. One set of feedrolls on each side ishigher up on themachine than-the other set on the same side, and thehighest set on one side is located directly opposite the lowest set onthe other side, as will be clear from Figs. 1 and 3. The wire afterpassing the feed-rolls, passes intoa tube or guideway having a flaringmouth at the end nearest the feed-rolls, as shown at 2, Fig.

2, to receive the wire, and the latter is guided through the stationarycutter a, thence across the face of the nail-die, between the lugs 12,and under the beak of the gripper 0, (see Fig. 4,) Which is at this timeraised slightly, so as not to bear on the wire. As soon as the wire hasbeen fed across the face of the die it is stopped lying between thestop-pin and the stationary cutter a is just sufficient to form twonailsthat is, is enough longer than the die 15 to leave sufficient ateach end to form the heads of the nails. .While in this position themovable cutter e moves across the face of the stationary die a andsevers the wire.

The mechanism for operating the movable cutters is as follows: On thesecondary shaft E a cam-wheel, L, is secured. (See Figs. 3, 5, and 6.) Alever, M, set on a shaft, f, is actuated by the cam L. A link, 9, havinga right and left hand adjusting-screw in it, is pivoted at 0 to an arm,a, fast on the shaft f, and is pivoted at its other end to a lever, N,which carries the movable cutter e. The lever N is mounted on a shaft,it, (see Fig. 6,) journaled in the frame, and to which it is firmlysecured by a set-screw, i. The lever N is of the form shown, Fig. 6, themovable cutter 6 being mounted on an arm of the lever in a re-i cess orslot made to receive it, and'being adjustable by means of theadjustingscrewj. The other or short arm ofthe lever is toothed atforming a segment of a gear, which meshes with a corresponding segment,Z, which is mounted loosely by means of a sleeve on the spindle P ofthe, oscillating die-head. The segment Z extends above the spindle 'P,and has thereon another toothed segment, which in turn meshes with acorresponding segment on the arm at of the bent lever B, which carriesone set of the upper movable cutters, e. The bent lever B is secured byaset-screw, p, to a short shaft, q, journaled in a projection of theframe. V

The mechanism just described operates the cutters on one side of themachine, and asimi lar mechanism actuated from the same shaft, f, bymeans of the arm r and the adjustable link 8, (see Figs. 5 and 6,)operates the cutters 1 on the other side of the oscillating die-head,

which correspond exactly with those above described, but which operatealternately with themthat is, their movements are exactly the reverse ata given time and this reverse movement is obtained from the same shaft,f, by securing the lever arm 1" in a different relative position on theshaft f from the position of the lever-arm 0.,as will be clear from anexamination of Figs. 5 and 6. After the section of wire has been severedby the cutters, itlies between the guides or lugs b and directly on theface of the die which is mounted in the oscillating die-head. The headthen moves so as to bring the die t and the section of wire in line withthe laterally-reciprocating die a, mounted in the sliding head S. (SeeFig. 4.) At this point the head S moves toward the oscillating die-head,bringing the nail-dies to gether and forming in the center of thesection of wire the points of two nails, the dies 1 and a being whenbrought together of a shape to give the desired tapering points to thenails.

For the purpose of holding the section of wire in place on the die itbetween the lugs I) while the oscillating head is moving intotheposition in which the nail is formed, a gripper or clamping device,0', is provided. This device is in the form of a lever, pivotedcentrally at o in a recess in the oscillating head. It is of shapeshown, Figs. 4 and 7, and is forked, the ends of the fork being bentover the face of the oscillating head and'projecting over the section ofwire, so as to bear thereon, and thus holdthe wire firmly. The rear orfree end of the gripper-lever a is forced upward or outward by aspring-impelled bolt,

a set in a recess'in the head, as shown, Fig.

4. The bolt a acts to keep the forked ends of the lever in contact withthe wire. When, however, the head is in position to receive the wirefromthe feed-rolls, it is desirable that the forked end of the grippers'c beaway from the face of the die t sufficiently to allow the wire to passreadily into position on the die. To this end I have provided thescrew-bolt b set in a downward projection, T, of the frame in a positionto come in contact with the rear end of the gripper-lever, thus raisingits forked end when the head is in posit-ion to receive the wire fromthe feed-rolls.

The laterally-sliding heads S, which carry the dies c, are reciprocatedby toggle-arms U, (see Figs. 1 and 3,) of common construction,

the heads S sliding in grooved slots in the top of the frame. Thetoggles U are operated by means of links V, provided with right and lefthand adjusting-screws, the lower ends of the links being pivoted ateither end of the large lever W, which is fulcrumed at A between thesides of the frame. The end of the lever W (shown in dotted lines at theright of Fig. 1) is slotted, as there shown at B, to receive a crank 0reccentric secured on the main shaft B. During a revolution of the shaftB the eccentric moves around the interior of the slot, thus oscillatingthe lever W. A portion of the lower side of the slotis downwardly curvedor dished, as shown at c", Fig. 1, so that as the cocentric on the shaftreaches that point in its revolution the lever W will remain stationary.This stop in the movement of the lever occurs when thesliding die-head Sis at the forward end of its throw and has forced its die against thewire and formed the point of the nail, and the purpose is to thus holdthe wire securely between the dies for an instant while the hammers orheaders are forming the heads of the nails. In order that the slidingheadsSshould approach the oscillating diehead at the same time, thetoggles on one side of the machine throw above the center, (see theright of Fig.

1,) while on the other side of themachine they throw below the center.This reversing of the toggles is necessary, so that the reversemovements of the ends of the lever W will produce the same movementsimultaneously in the naildies.

The oscillating die D is of the form shown, Figs. 4 and 7, and isprovided with a trunnion or spindle, P, which projects on either side ofit and by which it is mounted on the frame of the machine. This trunnionor shaft P is provided at one end (see Fig. 3) with an eccentricpin, dwhich travels in a cam, e, in the pe riphery of the wheel E", which ismounted on the shaft F set in hearings on projections Gr of the frame.The revolution of the cam-wheel E rocks the trunnion P and causes thedieheads D to oscillate. The shaft F is driven by means of the gears f gthe gear g being fast on the secondary shaft F. As .it is necessary thatthe die-head D" should move with a great degree of accuracy, in orderthat the nail-dies should meet with exactness, and thus form asymmetrical nail, and as the cam 6 might wear slightly after use, I haveprovided a locking device by which, while the nail-dies are forming thenail, the oscillating head D is locked in position. This device consistsof an cecentric block or crank, H (see Fig. 4,) secured on a shaft, I,mounted in the frame and provided at either end with the curved arms If,(see Figs. 2 and 3,) secured thereto. The arms if are provided at theirends with fric tion-rolls 72 which act against the peripheries of thecams J mounted on the shaft F". The revolution of the cams J rocks theshaft, one cam acting to move it in one direction and the other in theopposite direction. The crank on the end of the die-head shaft orspindle P is provided with forked projections K (see Fig. 4,) which, asthe crank is at either extreme of its throw, are alternately in linewith a slightly-tapering slot, j in the end of the crank H \Vhen one ofthe projections K is in line with the slot j*, the crank 11 is, by therocking of its shaft, moved toward the projection which is received inthe slot, thus holding the spindle P and die-head stationary and actingas an additional safeguard to the eccentric-pin d, which at this time islying in the straight portion of the cam path e WVhen the parts are inthis position, the nail-dies t, mounted in the oscillating head D areaccurately in line with the corresponding dies, at, in thelaterally-sliding heads S.

As before stated, the operation of heading the nails is performed whilethey are firmly secured by the nail-dies. 'The heading mechanism isconstructed as follows: As there are two nails formed at each end of thereciproeating head D at each movement of the dies, it is necessary toemploy four hammers for heading the nails, and these hammers are alikein construction and operation. The hammer which comes directly incontact with the wire consists of a bolt, 1*, which plays in a hole inthe frame A. (See Fig. 3.) These hammers Z are driven against the wireby the forked levers L, pivoted on studs M one forked lever being oneither side of the machine. In the upper ends of each lever are set thebolts m, which are adjustable by means of the. screws a (See Fig. 3.)The bolts m are arranged to strike the projecting ends of the hammersZ", and at each movement of the lever L drive the hammers against thewire. The projecting ends of the hammers are notched, as shown at 0 toreceive the end of a small arm or projecting piece, 1), (see Fig. 2,)fast to the upper ends of the lever L, and which act to withdraw thehammers, so that they may be ready for the next blow. The lower ends ofthe levers L are slotted lengthwise, as shown at N, Fig. 2, and theseslots receive eccentrics or crack pins g set on the ends of each of thesecondary shafts E F. Each revolution of the secondary shaftsreciprocates the lever L and heads four nails. The sides of the slots Nmay be faced with strips or pieces r, to prevent wear, as shown, Fig. 2.

To insure the nails when formed leaving the dies, I provideclearing-fingers 8 (see Fig. 4,) which are pivoted to the frame t andare held against the face of the dies by means of the springs u. Thesefingers act in grooves 1),

Fig. 7, and lie "close beside the gripper-lever c, as shown. When thenail is being formed, twoof these fingers lie underneath it, and thesubsequent movement of the oscillating head forces the nail up theincline of the finger clear of the gripper c and out of the die, and itdrops clear of the machine and into areceptacl'e underneath, which maybe provided to receive it.

For the purpose of stopping and starting my machine, I have invented animproved shipper device, (shown in Figs. 1 and 3,) which consists of aslide-rod, P arranged to slidein bearings on the frame. This rod isprovided with an operating-handle, R secured thereto at its lower end,and at its upper end passing through a slot, S, on the side of the topof the frame. One end of the rod (shown at the right of Fig. 3) isprovided with a toothed rack, T, which operates a toothed segment, w,fast to the rod a. The inner end of rod a is screwthreaded and works ina threaded socket, a fast to the frame. (See Fig. 2.) The other end ofrod 0, is reversely screwthreaded and carries the threaded sleeve, If,to which is pivoted one end of the lever This lever is fulcrumed at 01on a projection of the frame and the other end is forked, as shown. Fig.3, to receive the pin 6 set on the collarf on the main shaft. Themovement of the collar f on its shaft toward the fly-wheel' C forces thebelt-pulley D against the fly-wheel and causes the friction device, ofusual construction, to operate and cause the fly-wheel and pulley torevolve together, thus driving the shaft and operating the machine. Therod a being provided at one end with a righthand screw and at the otherwith a left-hand screw, the movement of slide-rod P is doubled in themovement of the lever 0 and a slight effort of the operator is all thatis required to stop or start the machine. The line It on the oscillatingdie-head (see Figs. 4 and 7) indicates a groove or recess, 3' Fig. 7,which is formed at each side of each face of the head to enable the headto receive a shorter set of nail-dies should it be desirable to use themachine in the manufacture of nails of smaller size. If the head was notthus grooved, the width of its face would interfere with the heading ofnails made in dies of less length. The dies t (shown in Fig. 4) aremounted in slots or recesses in the faces of the oscillating die-head.For the purpose of adjusting these dies forward or backward, the blocksa are placed in the slots underneath the dies. The rear face of theblock a is inclined and rests against the corr espondingly-inclinedbottom of the die slot or recess. The block a is not as wide as theslot, and the movementof the block from one side of the slot to theother pushes the die if outward, or allows it to recede. The blocks aare moved in one direction by spring impelled bolts set in recesses inthe diehead, (see the left of Fig.4,) and in the other direction by thescrew-bolts d This arrangement enables-the dies to be conveniently andeasily adjusted. It will be noticed that the upper part of the frame A,which projects above the trunnion or spindle P, is bolted to the body ofthe frame and acts as a cap for the trunnion or spindle in its bearings.This construction renders it a comparatively simple matter to remove thedie-head, as by taking out two bolts on either side of the machine thisupper portion of the frame may beilifted ofi and the die-head lifted outand removed, and its replacement may be effected with equal facility.

The operation of my machine is as follows: Wire from four reels mountedin any convenient manner, two on either side of the machine, andarranged to allow the wire to pay off as required, is fed into thecutters by means of the grooved feed-rolls. At one extreme of theoscillation of the diehead the feed-rolls on one side of the machineoperate, and at the other extreme those on the other side of the machineoperate. The wire is fed forward until its end extends across the dies,when the cutter-arms move the movable cutters and, sever the section ofwire lying across the nail-die. The head then begins its movement, whenthe grippers seize the section of wire on the die and hold it securelyduring the movement of the head, which brings the die into position toform the nail. While the nail is being formed by the pressure of thedies, the other dies on the head are receiving the wire from thefeedrolls on the other side of the machine. Thus atevery completeoscillation of the head eight nails are formed. Simultaneously with theaction of the nail-dies in forming the points of the nails the hammersare forming the heads.

As soon as the dies and hammers have with drawn, the head begins itsreturn movement and the clearers s free, the formed nails from the diesand allow them to drop under the machine.

I am aware that machines have been constructed with a die-head arrangedto'rotateintermittently. Such a construction is shown in Letters Patentto Parkhurst and Lovell, No. 345,534, dated July 13, 1886. Such amachine has proved objectionablein operation, because when the machineis operated at anything but a very slow speed the stopping of thedie-head causes a pounding action, which very speedily wears the partsand throws the dies out of position, thus wholly spoiling the nails orrendering them practically valueless by'forming the points off of thecenter of the wire. In such a machine, also, only one size of nail canbe formed at a time, and a large number of expensive dies must beprovided for each size of nail. Certain movements of the Parkh urst andLovell machine have also proved objectiona. ble in practice,particularly the movement of the laterally-reciprocating headswhichcarry half of the nail-dies, and which approach the rotary die-headfrom. opposite sides. These laterally-moving heads do not approach theroout a pounding action and without more than ordinary wear and tear ofthe machine.

I have shown and described a locking dev1ce which may be used, ifdesired, to insure the perfect registering of the naildies; butinpractice such a device has not been deemed necessary, since the dies areonly liable to get out of position by the wear of the mechanism, andthis wear when it occurs can be readily taken up at the point where ittakes place.

By the use of the reciprocating die-head the dies at one end of the headmay be used on one kind of nail and those on the other end of the headon a different kind of nail, thus necessitating but two dies for onekind of nail. The laterally-reciprocating heads which carry thenail-dies a are adapted to approach the head simultaneously, ashereinbefore de scribed, and thus their movements balance each other andthe shaft'of the die-head is relieved from strain.

WVhat I claim is i I 1. In a wire-nail machine, the combination of anoscillating die-head having nail-dies, as t, at each end thereof,mechanism for oscillating said head with periods of rest between themovements, suitable wire feeding and cutting mechanism, and nail-dies,as 'u, operating at right angles, or substantially so, to the axis ofthe die-head, whereby when the diehead is at rest one set of dies ateach end thereof may receive the wire while another set is in operativeposition to form the nail, substantially as set forth.

2. A wire-nail machine provided with an oscillating head, as D",actuating mechanism for imparting to said head a reciprocating movement,and sliding heads, as S, mounted on both sides of said oscillating headand in operation simultaneously approaching and receding from the same,for-the purposes and substantially as set forth.

3. In a wire-nail machine, an oscillating head, as D provided withnail-dies, as t, at each end thereof, actuating mechanism for impartingto said head a reciprocating move ment, sliding heads, as S, mounted inline with each other on opposite sides of said oscillating head andprovided with nail-dies, as a, and

actuating mechanism for operating the sliding heads S, whereby said diesu are caused to approach the oscillating head simultaneously ters, as ac, the'stationary cutters being in line with the dies in the head whensaid dies are in position to receive the wire, and the movable cuttersbeing mounted on arms, as N R,

which operate to move the cutters 6' across the cutters a and tosimultaneously sever the wire which is fed into the dies from one sideof the machine, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination, with the oscillating head and its spindle or shaft,of the cutterarms N R, provided with toothed segments, the toothedsegmentl,journaled on the spindle or shaft of the diehead, shaftf andits operating lever and cam, and the arm a and described.

6. The combination, with the nail-die 15, mounted in the movingdie-head, of the gripper-lever c, pivoted to said head and having oneend projecting over the face of the die in 8o connecting-link g,substantially as shown and position to bear on the section of wirethereon and the other projecting rearwardly and actuated in onedirection by contact with afixed point, as the belt I), and in the otherby the spring-impelled bolt c whereby during the movement of the headthe nail-wire is held securely in position on the die, substantially asset forth.

7. I11 a wire-nail machine having an oscillating die-head provided withnail-dies, as t, and actuating mechanism for reciprocating said head,the combination therewith of the spring-actuated clearers 3 two of saidclearers being pivoted to the stationary frame at each end of theoscillating die-head and their free ends being received in slots o inthe face of the die-head, and dies whereby a wire blank passes under theclearer in being carried from the point where the die receives the wireblank to the point where the nail is formed and is engaged by theclearer and removed from the die during its returnmovement, substantially as shown and described.

8. In awire-nail machine, the combination, with suitable feed mechanism,of the oscillating die-headD and its actuating mechanism, the dies t,provided with projections b, be tween which the wire is received, andthe grip ping-levers c, pivoted to the head I) and actuated in onedirection by a spring and in the other by contact with a stationarypoint on the frame, substantially as shown and described. i

9. In a Wire-nail machine, the combination, with suitable feedmechanism, of the oscillating die-head D and its actuating mechanism,the dies t, provided with projections b, between which the wire isreceived, the gripping-levers c, pivoted to the head D" and act uated inone direction by a spring and in the other by contact with a stationarypoint on j gripping devices a, mounted on and moving with the saiddie-head, substantially as described.

11. The combination, with the die-head D of the diet, mounted in a slotor recess in said head, said recess having an inclined bottom, aninclined or beveled block, a of less width than the recess and on whichthe die if rests, and means for shifting the block a in the recess,whereby the die may be adjusted, substantially as shown and described.

12. In a Wire-nail machine having an oscillating die-head carrying atboth ends dupli cate members, as t, of the nail-forming mechanism, whichreceive the wire at one point and transfer it to another, where it isformed into nails by the coaction of the other member, as u, of saidnail-forming mechanism, a locking-crank, H mounted on a rocker-shaft andprovided at its outer end with a slot, which receives an arm fast on theshaft of said oscillating head, whereby the head is locked andmaintained in a fixed position while the nails are being formed,substantially as shown and described.

13. In a wire-nail machine having an oscillating die-head, thecombination, with said head and its shaft or spindle, of a fixed arm, asK on said shaft, a locking eccentric or crank, as H having a slot whichengages with said arm, a rocker shaft on which said crank is mounted,the arms h fast to said rockershaft, and their operating-cams, wherebythe said shaft and its crank are positively actuated to lock theoscillating head, for the purposes and substantially as set forth.

14.'In a wire-nail machine, the combination, with the die-head and itssupportingshaft, said head having dies on opposite sides of said shaft,of the sliding heads, as S, lo-

cated on opposite sides of said die-head and provided with cooperatingdies, and actuating mechanism, substantially as described, for movingsaid sliding heads simultaneously toward the die-head between them,whereby the shaft of the die-head is relieved from strain, substantiallyas set forth.

15. In a wire-nail machine, the hammers Z actuated simultaneously tohead the nails, the levers L and arms 10*, secured to said levers,whereby the hammers are retracted after being driven, substantially asshown and described.

16. In a wire-nail machine having'alternate feed mechanism, the shafts HK, which actuate the feed-rolls, each provided with a ratchet-wheeloperated intermittently and alternately by a ratchet-and-pawl mechanismconnected with a cam-actuated lever, as 71, by pivoted links, as m a,said lever being fulcrumed between said shafts H K, whereby the movementof the lever in one direction actuates one shaft and its reversemovement actuates the other shaft, for the purposes and substantially asset forth.

17. The cam-actuated lever h, the block 70, and its adjusting-screw, theconnecting-arms m n, and the duplicate pawl-and-ratchet mechanism,whereby by the adjustment of the block is the throw of the pawl-cranksmay be varied, substantially as shown and described.

18. The combination, with the lever h and its actuating-cam, of the adjusting-block 7c and its adjusting-screw, the arms m 11., having theirproximate ends pivoted to said block and their opposite ends to thepawl-cranks 0 10 on either side of said lever h, the shafts H K andtheir pawl-and-ratchet mechanism,aud the feed-rolls and theiractuating-shafts geared to said shafts H K, substantially as shown anddescribed.

19. In a wire-nail machine having an oscillating die-head and suitablemechanism for imparting thereto a reciprocating movement, the shaft orspindle of said die-head mounted in hearings on top of the main frame,com-,-

bined with a detachable upper frame which carries all the mechanismabove said diehead,'whereby the removal of said die-head may be effectedwithout removing any other operative part of the machine from itsframework, substantially as set forth.

20. The combination, with the main shaft having fast and loose wheels,as G D, and a sliding collar, as f, of a shipper-lever, c pivoted to athreaded sleeve, 1), an actuatingrod,-a provided at one end with aright-hand screw and at the other with a left-hand screw, and a rackand-pinion,said rack being attached to a slide-rod, as P, provided withan operating-handle, as R, whereby by a slight movement of the handle Rthe machine may be stopped or started, substantially as set forth.

EDWARD B. PARKHURST.

